Raider Nation has been anxiously paying attention to is the contract situation of franchise QB Derek Carr. We all saw how the Oakland Raiders fell off the cliff when he was injured last year. And the 2016 NFL MVP candidate gave the team until training camp to sign him to an extension.
He told reporters at a post OTA press conference:
“I’ve made it clear that I want to be a Raider my entire career. I don’t want to play for anybody else. They know that. They’ve told me how badly they want me so we’ll see. I wouldn’t even answer my phone. [to negotiate a contract if it isn’t done by training camp] I’m not doing anything that’s not helping me focus on winning.”
Another reason Carr says he won’t negotiate past the start of training camp is he doesn’t want to be a distraction. He spoke of how it really bothered him when OLB Khalil Mack was asked about it. I believe Carr is a genuine in saying that but at the same time, there is leverage in that position.
If the Raiders don’t take care of him before training camp, Carr will have too much leverage. Plus GM Reggie McKenzie doesn’t believe in playing games when it comes to his best players. His message is “If you play well and are a good teammate for us, we’ll make sure we take care of you.”
So he is close to finalizing a deal that will pay Carr $25 million per year, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Also according to Schefter, only the language needs to be finalized before the record deal is announced. As it is, Carr, will make only $977,519 in base salary in 2017 so it is time to pay the man.
Just win, baby!
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